A study of the divorce determinants in Uruguay

In spite of an early legislation on divorce in Uruguay, the total number of divorces has increased significantly since the second half of the 1980’s. The purpose of this work is to identify the characteristics of women and their spouses associated with a larger risk of divorce, using the Survey of Familiar Situations collected in 2001. The results of survival analysis are in line with theoretical implications: the presence of children and religious beliefs tend to stabilize marriages. Also, premarital cohabitation shifts up the probability of marital breakdown. Regarding differences between generations, they relate mainly to the difference of age and education within the couple.